Samuel e



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

S. 'E. MOWER 8: G. E. HAIGHT.

TORPBDO.

No. 498,183. Patented May 23, 1893.

INVENTOR5 scum-acellzmwe'l ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

s. E. MOWER sue. E. HAIGHT.

TORPEDO.

No. 498,183. Patented May 23, 1893.

W/TNESSES UVVENTOH'S.

wmzzzzawer mbm 77 SAMUEL IhMowEs GEORGE E. nAIGn'r, on NEW HAVEN,connnc'rrcu'r,"

. asstenons To HENRY G. THOMPSON a son, or same PLACE.

TORPEDO.

carton m or 1mm ratent so. eeaiee, emu ices. Application m at, 6.1802.we No. 488.998. or. model.)

' of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures onthe drawings representing like parts.

to This invention has-for its object to provide 5 haveinvented anImprovementin Torpedoes,-

a; torpedo capable of propelling-itself at a;

high rate of speed for; a predetermined distance, the speed beingregulated to overtake moving vsselsaad 4e -penetrate any usual 1'5 formof net which may be spread to protect.

the vessel.

In accordance-with this invention, we employ a power or propellingmedium which may be air or gas, preferably previously compressed in asuitable flask or receptacle carried by the torpedo, the expansive forceof the compressed power medium being yet further increased by a heatingsurface heated by the combustion of asubstance capable of sup- :5porting'its ,o'wn combustion, that is, capable of burningwithin thetorpedo without the presence of air or oxygen supplied from an exteriorsource. The substance used being simply to heat and increase theexpansive 0 force of the'power medium, may be easily carried insufficient quantity to. maintain the requisite heat for such length oftime as to propel the torpedo at a high rate of speedfor any practicaldistance, and this without materially increasing the torpedo. One partof this invention therefore, consists' in an auto-mobiletorpedocontaining a flask to receive a power medium and having 40 anapartment or chamber for the reception of weight or size ofthe asubstance capable of supporting its own combustion to heat said powermedium to increase its power as will be hereinafter described.

Other features of this invention will be hereinafter described claims. v

I Figure 1, represents in horizontal longitudinal section, a sufficientportion of a torpedo spa-containing our improvement to enable ourinvention to be understood; Fig. 2,'a similar and pointed out in theview of the same parts in another position, together with one form ofsteering mechanism. Figs. 3, 4,5 and 6, are sectional views takenrespectively on the dotted lines 6-2:, 5

a:'-:c', 11-11, 'y'y' Fig. 1, Figs. 3,4 and 6, looking to the left; Fig.5, looking to the right; Fig. 7, a partial verticalsection on the dottedline z z Fig.2; Fig. 8,a right-hand end view of Fig. 7; Fig. 9,a viewshowing the steering magnets and their circuit connections; Fig. 10, adiagram viewtobedescribed. Referring to the drawings, A represents asutlicient portion of the rear end of atorpedo to enable this inventiontobe understood, the forward end thereof being similarly or otherwisesuitably formed .to properly penetrate the water and contain a chamberadapted for. the reception of a coil of electric cable by which themovements and operation of the torpedo may be controlled from theoperating point, and also to contain the explosive substance which isadapted to be fired or exploded in usual or desired manner upon reachingthe object to be destroyed.

The torpedo is carried by or suspended from some usual float, 1 notshown, which serves to maintain the torpedo at a distance of from threeto four feet below the surface of the water and out of reach of, hostileguns, 8o

the said float being of such material thatjt, will not be injured bypenetration of a shot or projectile and sunk. v V

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the torpedo a composite construction, thatis,it has a middie portion made as aclosed flask A, one end orhalf onlyof which is. shown, the half. not:

shown being closed in like manner,another essential portion of thetorpedo being a casting B having formed within it a heating on chamber6, said flask and casting B being connected bya shell 8, the casting Bbeing also connected with the tip t by the tapering.

shell S. The flask A receives the power fluid or medium which preferablyis compressed into a liquid form, the said fluid be-' ingconducted by apipe a, from near the -botton of the flask to the heating chamber b,saidpipe having a' valve it accessible from the exterior of the shellthrough-an opening too a? therein. The heating chamber b at'its rear endcommunicates through the perforated lever 01, pivoted at 12., see Fig.2, and carrying the twoarmatures n, nof the solenoids n, n, the passageof current through which is controlled by a polarized relay to-bedescribed. Y

Referring to Fig. 9, the armature of the polarized relay 0 moves betweenthetwo fixed contacts 0 0, which are connected drespectively by wires 5,6, with the solenoi s said solenoids being joined by a common wire 7, tothe said armature. The cable leads from the operative point, andcontains the wire 10 which is connected withone pair of magnets of thepolarized relay, asshown inFig. 9, the two pairs of magnets beingconnected by a wire 11, the second pair being connected by wire 12 withthe wire as shown. The wire is grounded at the operative point, and alsoby wire 12 is connected withthe metal of the torpedo, thence through thewater to the ground, so that a normally open ground circuit isestablished. A resistance R is included inthe line at some point withinthetorpedo, the detonator or fusef for igniting the heating substance inthe heater being arranged in a shunt r around this resistance, Figs. 9and 10, said shunt reaching the instance, besent over the wire 10, andvthrough the resistance R, said current will cause the armature 0' of thepolarized relay to be moved to the left into engagementwith the fixedcontact-o thereby causing the cur-- rent to pass through and energizethe solenoid n, thence through the wire 12 to the ground, completing thecircuit. The solenoid n being thus energized will attract its armaturen, Fig. 2, and will move the valve of the steering cylinder to the leftto admit pressure from the reservoir m to the right of the piston insaid cylinder and move the rudder in a direction to djyert the torpedoto the right."

If.'however, a on rrentof opposite polarity, as be sent over the wire10, said current will causethe armature of the polarized relay to bemoved to the right Fig.-9,into engagement with the fixed contact 0thereby closing the circuit through the solenoid n energizing the latterand causing it to attract its armature n to move'the valve of thesteering cylinder to the right and admit pressure from the reservoir mto the left of the piston in said cylinder, to move t he rudder in theopposite (ii rection to divert the torpedo totheleft. Thus a current ofone polarity moves the rudder in one direction, and a current ofopposite polarity moves the rudder in an opposite direction, while therudder, when the circuit is broken, remains in a central position, itbeing r 100,100 I a a centered by the springs ),Fig'.2,actln atop--posite sides upon the en of the arm n opposite that to which the link nis connected-7 The resistance R in the steering wire causes the firstelectric impulse to pass through the shunt andblow out the fuse to startthe terpedo, after which the current passes through the resistancedirect, and is utilized for steer- 7 ing purposes, the said wiretherefore having a double function, one to fire the fuse and start thetorpedo, and the other to steer the torpedo after it hasbeen started.The cable containing the wire is conducted from the 8 chamber in frontof the flask A which contains the coil of cable back to'the fuse andsteering mechanism behind the said flask through a pipe a, which extendslongitudb" nally through the flask A, as cleai'lyshown 8 in Figs. 1 and2. v y

Nitrous oxide gas'constitutes a good power medium, as the same has greatexpansive power which is increased to a very high degree by an increaseof temperature, and'the 9 said gas may be readily compressed into aliquid form in the flask A making it convenient to carry; This inventionis not, however, limited to the use'yof said gas for the power medium,and instead, any other gas, as g for instance, carbonic acid, anhydrousammonia, or even compressed air may be used to advantage.

While we have herein mentioned as aheating substance 3. compound ofnitrate of pot- 1 ash, powdered carbon, and glycerine, yet the inventionis not limited in this respect, as any other substance or compound whichis capable of supporting its .own combustion, that is, which is capableof burning withoutv 1 air or oxygen supplied from an exterior orartificial source, may .be used and yet be within the scope .of thisinvention.

The greatest advantage of the torpedo herein described and embodying ourinven- 1 tion, lies in the fact that its speed remains undiminished fromthe time itis started until the time when the heating substance isexhausted,.and inasmuch as the heating substance is used only forheating purposes and 1 not for propelling purposes, it isnot rapidlyexhausted and therefore may be carried convenientlyin suoh quantity asto maintain the required heat to raise the temperature of the power gas,for practically any length of time i suflicient to propel the torpedofor any predetermined distance, making it possible to operate thetorpedo at a safe distance from the hostile vessel or to pursue such"vessel in its flight for the desired distance. 1 1 While we havehereinshown and described our torpedo as propelled by means of a jet, is isobvious that the power fluid may be utilized to drive an engine or motorof suitable construction to propel the torpedo by means 1 of a screw orother device, the gist of this inventiou consisting in the raising ofthe temperature of a power medium by means of heat generated bythe-combustion of aheating sub.-

. the power. fluid, and a combining chamber in i ensues stance capableof supporting its own combustion.

Ilerctofore in torpedoes of this class it has been common to actuate thesteering mechanism by the high tension power fluid, it bein g necessarytoconduct the same first through a reducing valve to reduce it to such atension that it may be easily used in steeringthe torpedo. In ourinvention, however, we employ as described, two independent fluids, onea high tension contained within the flask A to propel the torpedo, andthe other alow tension contained within the reservoir m to actuate thesteering mechanism. Expensive and troublesome reducing valves are thusrendered unnecessary in this invention.

This invention is not limited to the par ticular construction of thevarious parts shown and described, as the same may he obviously variedin many particulars within the skill and judgment of amechanic and yetbe within the scope of our invention.

We claim-- v 1'. A. torpedo having a flask or phamber to contain a powerfluid, and an apartment fora heating substance capbleof supporting itsown combustion as described and adapted to furnish heat to the powerfluid and raise the.

temperature of the same to thereby increase its expansive power,substantially as described.

2. In a torpedo, a flask containing a power fluid, combined with a'heating chamber to raise the temperature of the power fluid when passedtherethrough and a heater .in said heating chamber, said, heatercontaining a heating substance capable of supportingits own combustion,substantially as described.

3. In a torpedo, a flask or chamber for a power fluid, a heating surfacefor and to raise the temperature of the power fluid when the latter isdrawn from the flask, and a device controlled by the temperature of saidheating surface to control the passage of the power fluid from the flaskto :said' heating surface, substantially as described. V Y, x

4. A torpedo, containing the following instrumentalities, viz:a flask tocontain the power fluid, a heating surface, a. conduit to conduct thefluid thereto to be heated, a valve in and normally closing saidconduit, a spring actuated shaft toopen the said valve, and a fusiblering to restrain movement of the shaft and adapted to be melted by the heatfrom the heating surface to permit movement of the shaft to open thevalve, substantially as described.

5. In a torpedo, the combination with aflask or chamber fora powerfluid,o'f a. heating substance for the same capable of supporting its vown combustion to raise the temperature of which the power fluid and theproducts of combustion from the heating substance are combined,substantially as described.

6. "In a torpedo, aflask to contain the power .tained, substantially asdescribed.

fluid, and a heating ohaluber into which the fluid is conducted to beheated, combined. I with a heater located" in said chamber and having aseries of compartments each containing p. heating substance capable ofsuppor'tingits own combustion, substantially as described.

7. Ina torpedo, a heating chamber, having a power fluid supplied toit atone end and having a perforated distributing plate at the opposite endthrough which said fluid escapes,

combined with a. heater arranged within said heating chamber andcontaining a heating substance capable of supporting its own combustion,substantially as described.

8. In a torpedo, the combination of the following insirumentalities,viz: --a heating chamber having a power fluid supply therefor atone-endand a perforated distributing plate at the opposite end through whichsaid fluid escapes; a'heater arranged within said chamber, andcontaining a heating substance capable of supporting its own combustion;a hood for said heater having a neck extending through said perforatedplate; and a jet tube to collect the said fluid and the products .05

combustion from the said heating substance and to direct the samerearward, substantially as described.

9. in a torpedo, the combination with a power fluid flask or chamber,and a jet-tube through which the fluidinthe flask escapes from thetorpedo, of a heating substance, capable of support-ing its owncombustion to raise the temperature of the said fluid before it escapesfrom said tube', substantially as de- 10. ln'a torpedo, the combinationof the fob lowing instrumentalities, viz:-a flask to contain a powerfluid; the heating chamber 1), in which to heat the gas from the flask,its perzos forated wall b, the jet-tubechaving a flaring end 0', and theheater d,co'nstructed and operating substantially as described andcontaining a heating substance capable of supporting its own combustion,substantially,

described.

11. In a'torpedo, the' combination with a flask or chamber for a werfluid; of a heater for the power fluid, said heater containing a seriesof com partmentseach of which receives manner substantially asdescribed.

;1 3.' In atorpedo, a flaskfto contain a suba quantity of heatingsubstance capable of stantially high tension power fluid means names tothis specification in the presence of whereby said fluid is employed topropel the two subscribing witnesses. v torpedo, combined with a.steering inechan- SAMUEL E. MOWER.

ism, and a reservoir containing a. low tension A GEORGE E. HAIGHT. 5fluid to actuate the said steering mechanism, -Witnesses: v

substantially as described. HENRY G. THOMPSON,

In testimony whereof we have signed our L. H. DAYTON.

